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Boats

Over It Raft Cover Review

Why they beat the utilitarian tarp every time…
Tim Romano author.
Tim Romano
August 28, 2025
Over It Raft Cover in a yard.

Over It Raft Cover Review

For nearly 20 years, I’ve stored rafts outside–fully inflated, on trailers, “protected” by thick 10mm tarps. You know the routine: finish a long float, rinse the boat, drag it into the redneck side yard and wrestle a giant tarp into place. Then spend another 20 minutes securing it with bungees, straps and whatever else you have lying around.

And living on Colorado’s Front Range? Forget it. Winds here regularly top 50 mph, UV exposure is brutal and in a couple weeks that brand-new tarp looks like yard waste–ripped, puddled, frozen, thawed and flapping like a bad lawn ornament.

Enter the Over It Raft Cover. Game changer.

(Full disclosure: Over It is a Flylab partner, where members can get one for 10% off. But for the record, I bought both of mine at almost full price.)

Why the covers work:

  • Made for rafts: These covers are actually cut to fit. They have slots for oar towers and trailer winches, cinch tight without a wrestling match and come with bomber D-rings so you can secure them properly. No more  bungee cord gymnastics. Available in four raft sizes, plus a cataraft version.
  • Fast & easy: Covering a boat takes a fraction of the time–maybe 1/10th of what it takes with a tarp. That alone makes it worth it.
  • Breathability: Tarps trap moisture; Over It covers breathe. Snowmelt, freeze-thaw cycles and mildew are no longer a surprise when you peel it off. The best part? They still block what really matters–the sun. Here’s more about the material characteristics from the manufacturer: “Heavy Duty woven poly material that is semi-permeable; filters water through instead of pooling water on your raft and cover. Tightly woven to keep UV rays out, keeping your boat safe.” (Of course, make sure you’re running a self-bailing raft so rain and snowmelt can flow through.)
  • Durability: Heavy-duty, UV-resistant fabric that’s built to last. A tarp might limp through half a season before disintegrating; Over It covers are proving to go for years. In fact, the prototype has been sitting outside in high-altitude Colorado sun for almost four years–and it’s still holding up. Check out the video

Cons:

  • Pricey upfront: Yes, Over It covers aren’t cheap. But do the math–how many tarps have you gone through in the last ten years? This cover will likely outlast dozens of them.
  • Collects some dust and dirt: Sure, they keep out the big stuff, but they’re not perfect at keeping every speck. Honestly, neither would a tarp, and it’s a raft–just rinse it off.

Bottom line: If you’re serious about protecting your raft, stop playing the tarp game. Over It Raft Covers are faster, tougher and actually designed for the job. Once you use one, you’ll never look at that pile of blue plastic in your yard the same way again.

From Over It: Living in the adventure town of Salida, Colorado, we spend as much time as possible outdoors. Our river (the Arkansas) is world-renowned, yet even the locals (that includes us) have made costly, wasteful mistakes when storing gear. After too many seasons of unnecessary damage to our rafts, we created a better solution. Over It Raft Covers was born from those backyard brainstorming sessions: a sun-protective, durable and secure cover that fits any boat you can float down the river.

FlyLab discount: 10% off raft covers for all members.

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